Variable-speed gear



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,651

J. A. FURNESS VARIABLE srnso can Filed Dec. 19, 1927' e Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN To K Nov. 13, 1928.

J. A. FURNESS VARIABLE SPEED GEAR Filed D86. 19, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,651 J. A. FURNESS vmnsm swan can Filed Dec. 19, 1927 s Shoots-Shut 4 Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,651

J. A. FURNESS VARIABLE srasn GEAR Filed Dec. 19. 192*! 6 sun -sh t 5 NOV. 13, 1928. 1,691,651

- J. A. FURNESS I .VARIABLE sraso emu Filed D 19, 1927 6 'Sheeter-Sheet 6 J77- Var-near larva/412E Patented Nov. 13,. 1928..

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VARIABLE-SPEED GEAR.

Application filed. December 1a, 1927, Serial No. 241,188, and. in an Britain December a, lead This invention relates to variable speed gears of the epicyclic type. J

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for selecting the gear giving the desired transmission ratio. According to the invention the selector member capable of linear motion-is furnished with aplurality of cams or projections which 7 associatedand further in addition to brake members for securing a drivewthrough one or other of the'trains a clutch is provided for securing a direct drive in high gear the selec tor member being arranged to secure; when m'ovedinto a given position, the engagement of this clutch. 1

With a device of this charactertihlchanging' gear the pedal. lever will be depressed, thereby re'leasing the driving connection between .the engine or primaryshaft and. the driven sh aft after which theselector member may be moved into the position in which by release of. the pressure upon the foot pedal it will ensure adrive at the desired transmission ratio. f p

Theconstructions in accordance with the present invention are particularly adapted for use in association with epicycli'c gears as claimed in application for Letters Patent Serial No. 161,185.

The brakes are conveniently of the external contracting type but brakes of the internal eX- paridingtyipe may be employed in accordance" with the invention. v e a V It, is further to-be observed that brakes in accordance with the invention maybe employed otherwise than in association with variable speed gears without exceeding the scope of the. present appl1cat1on.- Certain constructions in accordance with the inventionare illustrated by way of exam accompanying drawings," in

Figure 3 is an end elevation thereof, i

Figure being adetail view on a larger scale showingcertain. features of; a sligl 1t1y modified construction, while Figure 5 is a' longitudinal section of another.

a its;

construction of variable speed'gear and: selecf tion, v

Figure (il28l11gt crosssection while Figure 7 1s a longltu'dinal elevationipiar-tl'v in section showing -more particularly the con-= struction of the brakedrums;

Figure 8 is a transverse section of althirld of the gear lever; Qnthis shaft-are provided twg cams 6 and 7.;

By appropriate niotioiroii gear lever.

tor mechanism in accordance with the .inveiif i eferringtoFigures 1. ton; 1 is the gear 1 tobe capable of axial motion under theaction i the cam6 maybe broughtover the lever 8101' Y the lever" 9 or be moved 'into' position-in which 1 t w ll (contact. with neither, of these levers, While the cam 7 by appr'opriatefmd tion of the gear lever maybebroug-ht over the lever 10 or the lever 11 or the lever .12, which latter I is. mounted on the shaft .13 furnished w th flafOl-kld engaging the flanged, collar 15 01' the clutch .element '16 which isarra nged to. coeoperate ,With a olutclrelement whereby the dr ving shaft 17.;will be -lock ed zdirectly tothe transmission shaft 18 thus enabling a direct drivejon top: gear to "be secured. For

.imparting. rotational motion to the shaft .5 y

member is secured to the shaft, this memb ine 'Prfiiv d d w Pr j ti n 22 1 whichlis adapted to be operated by the pedal 21 and moved theipedal, as shown inFig 7 about th e; slid ably mounted pin23.

. u re 1 in opposition to the spring 22; located In Figure Aith'e member 19 isfshown engage'd in a slot; in a imember 24oslidahly mountedin a socket25 in which is 'located a spring- 26, while the heel.- of the clutch 20 is arranged to bearon the head of t-he'member" 24 inorder to move it when' desired in op'p'or sitiontothespring The levers 8; 9, 10 and 11 areo'f, the form shown-in'Figure 4, efach bein provided with two arms 27 to; which are pivoted brakeshoes, 28 adaptedltojb 'e" 1 brought to bear upon the'braked um y of llO which there are four,29, 30, 31 and 32 in the construction illustrated. With the levers springs 33 are associated adapted to release the brakes from the drums. In the operation of the constructions illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 on the depression of the clutch pedal 21 the selector shaft Will be rotated about'its axis and under the action of the hand lever 1 the selector shaft may bemoved axially to a greater or less extent in a for-- ward'or' rearward direction. For instance,

if the *gearlever is'moved so that it enters the slot a in'the gate thecam 7 will be brought 'overfthe lever'lO and on releasing the clutch 'pedalbrakes willbe applied 'to the drum 31 in order-to give, for instance, a drive in reverse. If. the lever is moved intothe slot 7) and when the clutch is released brakes will J the cam 7 will be brought over the lever 11 be applied to the drum 32 giving, for instance, the first forward speed. 'In moving j the gear lever out of this slot laterally and in a forward direction into the slot cthe cam 6 will be brought above the lever 8 and on releasing the clutch brakes will be ap lied to the drum" 29 for giving the second orward speed, while on movingfthe lever into the S1015 (I; in the gate the cam 6 will be brought above the lever 9 and in this way, on releasing the clutchpedal, brakes will be a'pplied'to the drum 30 for securing the drive at the third speed. By moving the lever out of the slot d'after depressing the clutch pedal and into th'eslot e the cam 7 will be brought into position to engage with the lever 12 when the clutch'pedal is released and in this way a direct drive on top will be secured ow ng to Referring] to Figures 7 V the gear case, 35-is the gear lever operating 'the clutch element 16 engaging a co r d inglyformed'clutch element.

in the "g-ate36. 'Thegear lever is secured to a spindle37 on'Which also the lever '38 is secured. By axial'motion of the spindle 37 the lever38 maybe caused to engage between the; projections 39 or corresponding projections 40 frespectively ont'hej slidably mounte ed spindles 41 and42, onefof which is provid '50: ed with a finger 43 and 'a foam 47, while the other'is provided with two fingers '45 andff46 and cams 44 and 48. 'These cams are adapted by rotation of'thespindle 41 to be caused to bear up'onone or other ofa'pluralityofrods,-

indicated by thereference'49, slidably mounted inthe uide 50 forming part of the gear case. IBy the depression of these rods directly as indicated in theconstructions shown 'in Figures' 5 to 7 andthrough the interme- "di'ary 'of' the slidably mounted rod 51 in the construction illustrated in Figure 8 .one or other of'the pairs of brake shoesf52, 53 will bebroughttobear upon the brake drums 54, '55 and *56 withiwhich' they are associated.

The .dri1 fm 54- issecured to e' sleeve 57 on which a sun wheel 58 is secured, the drum being connected by the sleeve 59 with a sun Wheel 60 and the drum 56 is connected to the sleeve 61 which is formed as a sun wheel 62. These several sun wheels, as well as the sun wheel 63, engage planet wheels 64,. 65, 66 and 67 secured respectively by, the spindles 68, (39 to the plate 70. 7

A pedal. 71 rotatably mounted on the spindle 72 and rigid with the lever 73 is connected by a ball-ended connecting rod 74 witlrthe member 75 rotatably mounted on the engine shaft 76. The degree of rotary motion imparted to this memberis limitedby the slot 77 engaging the bolt 7 8 in the construction illustrated in Figure 6 and by the 'operation of the pedal this member can be-moved in opposition tothe spring 79. On'eface of the member is formed as a dog clutchelement 80 zindwhen it is rotated on depressing the pedal the teeth of this element riding over the teeth of the corresponding element 81, which is slidably mounted on the driving shaft, will force the latter against the ends of a plurality of lovers, of which only onc82 can be'seen, pivoted at. 83,thereby forcing the friction clutch member 84 in opposition tothe springs 85out of engagement with the clutch member 86. At the same-time the connecting rod 74 raises the rod 87 which is pivotally connected said slotsaudit-brought into register with 5, 6, 7 and 8, 34 is an elevated portion, onfrele asing the' clutch pedal, the locking plate will rotate theselector rod thereby causing the cam or finger of the same to operate through one of'the rods 49 upon oneof the brake elements "thereby causing one 'or othe'rof the gears to" be engaged 7' In the position illustrated in the drawings the finger 43 is under. the slot93 in the lock plate, the locking plate being in a raised position 1 On releasing the locking plate the finger-will enter this slot andthe dog clutch member 80 will rotate to 'a certain extent about the drivingshaft but itwi'll notf'ro'tate toan extent suflicientto permit theclut'ch elenent 86 to engage the clutch element 85. The

fin 43, moreover, inthis-position Wi'll'rest on the lug 96 and when the several elements are 111 this-position the 'gearwfllbein neutral. If, on the other hand,"the finger'43'is in the slot 94 and'out'of registerwith the lug 96, the other fingers beingin the-position i1- lustrated in the drawings, the locking plate will move down under the action of its spring and will rotate the dogfclutch member 80 relatively to the dog'clut'ch Inember 81'and will permit the clutchelements 84 and 86 to comprisinga driving and a driven shaft; a

plurality of epicyclic gear trains adapted to provide a drive at different transmission raties between said shafts, a brake member associated With each of the gear trains, a clutch adapted to engage the driving shaft with the driven shaft and thus provide'a direct drive 15' in high gear, selector members adapted to be moved 1n an axial dlrectlon and about their axes, a hand lever adapted to move axially said, brake members and unable as desired I V a driving connection through one or other of the gear trains to be obtained or to enable 1 the clutch to be engaged for securing a drive in high gear, spring mechanism adapted "to constrain the selector members to move about their axes in a given'direction into the position to establish a driving connection, and a pedaladapted to move such selector members a'bout'their axes in the reverse direction to interrupt the driving connection and permit a change in the transmission ratio to-be efiected.

In testimony whereof I have signed my v name to this specification. 

